Quick turnaround.

After a nearly four-hour extravaganza Wednesday, it was naturally a 12:35 p.m start for the Reds and Mets on Thursday. I didn’t get home from work until 1am last night and getting into the driveway proved more of a challenge than usual since I was pulled over by local law enforcement right in front of my house. I guess I didn’t stop entirely at the four-way stop sign.

The officer asked me where I was going and for the first time ever in one of those situations, I could actually point to my house and say I was going right there. Fortunately, I was let off with a warning (thank you!). So as a PSA to all you drivers out there — make complete stops at stop signs, not rolling ones.

Jerry Hairston Jr. is available but was still sore after foul two pitches off his left leg. Baker didn’t want to send Chris Dickerson to play against tough lefty Oliver Perez. That pretty much meant Taveras has to play at less than 100 percent (flu). He struggled after his pinch-hit triple last night.

“I feel OK. But the breathing part wasn’t there,” Taveras said. “When I scored the run, I had to come in because I was coughing. Today, it will be warm and that might help.”

Dickerson will eventually get to face lefties.

“Some, depending on who they are,” Baker said. “The one today, the league is hitting .158 off him. Some lefties are better against righties than lefties. We’ve got a long way to go and we’re going to play everybody.”

Alex Gonzalez got the day game off after a long night game. Ditto for Hernandez as Hanigan went behind the plate.

“Some guys played a lot in Spring Training and all of a sudden the season starts, and they lose what they had. It’s a perfect time to play them,” Baker said.

Baker gave some insight to file away for later about Jonny Gomes, who accepted his Triple-A assignment yesterday.

“Like I explained to Jonny, there’s going to come a time when we’re going to need you. It probably won’t be that long but especially when we start playing American League clubs. Last year, our most success was against American League clubs because Griffey and Dunn were the DH. If we started against American League clubs right now, we really don’t have a true DH against them.”

Also something to think about for down the road — Baker hasn’t idenitfied an emergency third catcher behind Hernandez and Hanigan.

“Ooh..I don’t know that one,” Baker said.

Joey Votto was a catcher when he was drafted but isn’t likely to strap on the gear.

“He’s in no hurry to get back there. He was in a hurry to get away from there,” Baker said.

I am concerned about offense, too, in the big picture but I don’t think they should make a trade right now for the bat because it would require coughing up pitching or prospects. It’s also very, very early in the season.

Right now, I think a bat is needed for the bench, which lacks anyone with real pop. Geoff Jenkins would be a nice signing and as I mentioned earlier, Gomes could be summoned sooner than later if he gets out of the gate well at Louisville. I still don’t think he should have been cut.

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